Room air conditioner support arrangement



July 30, 1968 M- D. ULICH ROOM AIR CONDITIONER SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 16, 1966 INVENTOR Michael D. Ulich /Q JZ a;

ATTORNEY WITNESSES ZZMZM 3 9M w gy United States Patent M 3,394,910 ROOM AIR CONDITIONER SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT Michael D. Ulich, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., 21 corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 572,847 Claims. (Cl. 248-208) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support arrangement for a window mounted air conditioner in which an outwardly-projecting bar is fastened to the window frame and includes a downwardly-open track in which an extended-area upper edge of a bracket is slidably captured, the bracket carrying a screw for securing the bracket and bar against relative movement and also carrying a screw in its lower portion adjustable into abutting relation with the building structure.

This invention relates to improvements in support arrangements for room air conditioners.

The manufacturer of room air conditioners faces a formidable problem in providing mounting and support arrangements adaptable both tothe various sizes and models of room air conditioners and also applicable to the numerous kinds and sizes of windows commonly used. Horizontal sliding windows of the aluminum frame type so widely used because of their relatively low cost have been especially difiicult to accommodate. Casement windows have also posed special problems.

A mounting arrangement of the general character disclosed in the Metcalfe U.S. patent application Ser. No. 476,105 in which one or more extendible wings incorporating self-coiling sheet members are provided to close the space between the air conditioner housing and the facing building structure, both seals the air conditioner and provides adequate support in many installations. However, in other installations it is preferable and frequently required that additional means he provided to supplement the support given the air conditioner by the window assembly. This invention is directed to such a support arrangement.

The gist of the invention is in the provision of a support bar and bracket in which the one is slidably captured by the other for their relative adjustment, and in which the bracket carries the means for securing this relation, as well as means for adjusting the slope of the support bar through adjusting the abutment of the bracket relative to the building structure.

The support arrangement according to the invention is of the type which is mounted outside of the building structure for supporting the outwardly projecting portion of the room air conditioner mounted in a window opening of the building structure. The arrangement includes a support bar which has its inner end fastened to building-secured structure such as a part of the window frame structure underlying the air conditioner housing, or to a separate mounting frame for the air conditioner. The bar projects outwardly from the securement location and includes longitudinally-extending track means. The bottom wall of the air conditioner rests upon the bar. A support bracket cooperates with the support bar and has an upper portion slidably associated with the track means to permit adjustment of the bracket longitudinally along the bar. The bracket essentially serves as an angle brace between the bar and the building, and it is adjusted to the position approximating the proper planar disposition of the support bar. Means are provided to secure the bracket to the bar at desired positions to prevent further sliding movement of the bracket relative to the bar. Then adjustable 3,394,910 Patented July 30, 1968 means carried by the lower portion of the bracket is moved into abutting relation with the building structure for effecting a vernier positioning of the slope of the support bar.

In the presently preferred version of the support arrangement, the support bar comprises a downwardlyopen channel with the track means formed interiorly of the channel. The bracket includes an extended-length upper portion comprised of alternate, outwardly-projecting flanges dimensioned so that the outer edges of the flanges are slidably received in the interior track means of the support bar. With this arrangement, the means for securing the bracket to the bar can be a threaded fastener carried by the bracket and adapted to be turned up into engagement with the support bar through one of the alternate flanges.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred arrangement and several modifications embodying the invention by Way of example, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a room air conditioner installed in a typical horizontal sliding window with a support arrangement provided according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the major parts of the support arrangement in assembled relation before installation;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of the upper portion of the support bracket;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, exploded, isometric view of the inner end of the support bar and an end bracket accessory for use with certain types of windows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the support arrangement utilizing the end bracket for installation in connection with a horizontal sliding window of one particular track configuration;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view of the interior face of a window of the double hung type provided with a room air conditioner framing kit and illustrating the relationship of the frame kit and the support arrangement according to this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in which the inner end of the support bar may be connected to the bottom horizontal member of a frame kit such as is shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 1, a building exterior wall it) has a window opening 12 containing a conventional aluminum horizontal sliding window 14. To install a room air conditioner 16 in such a window, one of the window panels is slid to the side to overlap the other window panel and to leave an opening of sufiicient width to accommodate the width of the room air conditioner and any mounting frame kit 18 provided in connection with the air conditioner. Since such aluminum slider windows provide limited strength to prevent an air conditioner from falling out of the window, a support arrangement 20 according to the invention is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support arrangement 20 generally includes the generally horizontal support bar 22 which has its inner end secured to the lower window track 24 in a manner to be described in detail later, and the bracing bracket 26. The bar projects outwardly to underlie the central portion of the air conditioner housing. The bracket 26 has a generally triangular shape in side elevation, and carries the load from the bar through a leveling screw 28 to the building structure exterior face.

The support bar 22 (FIG. 2) in its currently preferred version is channel shaped in cross-section and includes interior track means formed by opposite grooves 30 extending along the inside corners of the channel for the entire length of the bar. The support bar may conveniently be cut lengths of an aluminum extrusion having a lateral cross-section including the opposite interior ridges 32 which define the lower edges of the grooves. Each end of the ridge portions is drilled and tapped as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 at 34 to receive threaded fasteners. In some applications, the fasteners secure adapter ends to the support bar, while in other applications they secure the support bar directly to a window frame, or a frame kit mounting arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper edge of the triangular support bracket 26 is formed of a series of alternate, oppositely-directed flanges 36, 3S and 40. The outer edges of these flanges are slidably received in the grooves 30 of the support bar. The bracket 26 also has a flange 42 along its inner edge facing the building structure, and a flange 44 along the hypotenuse edge of the bracket. These flanges stiffen the bracket, and the inner edge flange 42 carries a weld nut 46 receiving the leveling screw 28. The inner end of this leveling screw has an extended area. flat 43 with a projecting point for hearing against the exterior of the building wall, or against a shim block if one is used. The bracket 26 may be inexpensively fabricated of sheet steel formed to provide the flanges as described. The alternating top flanges 36-40 provide extended area support for the bar 22, and also accommodate the locking screw 59, and also serve as a carriage received by the interior track of the support bar.

The central top flange 38 (FIG. 3) has a pointed locking screw 50 used to secure the bracket 26 relative to the support bar 22 during installation. The locking screw 50 which is threaded through a weld nut, is simply turned up through the flange with the point of the screw engaging the undersurface of the web of the channel sup-' port bar 22. It will be observed that the hypotenuse flange 44 terminates short of the bottom end of the support bracket so that a screwdriver may be used to turn both the locking screw 50 and the leveling screw 28. A lock nut is also preferably provided for the leveling screw 28.

The installation of the support arrangement varies in accordance with the structure of the particular window in which the air conditioner is to be mounted. In general however, the manner of installation follows the general pattern of first locating the approximately proper position of the support bracket 26 along the length of the support bar 22. This is done by first placing the inner end of the support bar in a position where it abuts the window or frame member to which it is to be fastened. The bracket 26 is then slid along the track means of the support bar to a location in which the support bar is approximately level. The locking screw 50 is then set to prevent further sliding movement of the bracket relative to the bar. Since at this stage of installation, the support bar is not yet attached to the building structure, the bar and bracket are simply turned upside down to set the screw 50.

The inner end of the support bar 22 is then fastened to the window frame or frame kit in accordance with the particular kind of window, and the leveling screw 48 is then turned in or out as a vernier adjustment to tilt the support bar up or down. Ordinarily, the air conditioner is inclined downwardly on the outside for prmoting condensate disposal. When a frame kit 18 is used, it is designed to occupy a vertical plane in the window when the air conditioner is tilted outwardly.

In some installations, an adapter clip 52 (FIGS. 4 and is used at the inner end of the support bar 22. The adapter clip 52 is first secured to the end of the support bar by screws 54 and the adapter clip side wings are then in turn fastened to the window frame base. The clip accessory may be used, for example, with double hung wooden windows where the window stool is higher than the exterior sill and the clip wings are fastened to the outer edge of the stool. It is noted that the clip 52 has a plurality of holes to accommodate fasteners at selected heights best suiting the particular installation.

The adapter clip 52 is also used as shown in FIG. 5 where the outer upright flange of the lower window track of an ordinary horizontal slider window is lower than one or more of the other flanges of the track. In this case, the lower holes of the adapter clip 52 wings are used to permit fastening the clip to the slider frame and the support bar 22 is elevated to the proper height by the fasteners passing through selected holes of the center portion of the clip and into the holes 34 of the bar 22 of the inner end. Where the outer flange of the lower track of the slider window is sufliciently high, the adapter clip 52 need not be used and the fasteners 54 may extend out directly through holes punched in the flange and into the threaded openings 34 of the inner end of the support bar.

As noted before, with certain installations utilizing a mounting frame arrangement of the character disclosed in the noted Metcalfe patent application no additional support is necessary. However, for installations where heavy air conditioners are installed in a substantially unbalanced position (such as a flush interior mounting), the support provided by the mounting kit is preferably supplemented by a support arrangement according to this invention. The illustrated mounting frame arrangement shown installed in a double hung wooden window in FIG. 6 generally comprises a frame stnicture which is dimensioned to provide a central opening 56 which sealingly accommodates the housing of the particular room air conditioner to be installed, and also includes a pair of opposite extendible wings 58 which are pulled outwardly so that their outer edges seat in the sash tracks of the window. The inner sash of the window is then lowered to engage the top edge of the frame and aid in supporting and stabilizing the frame in the window. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower rail 60 of the frame kit is designed to permit the support bar 22 to be secured directly to the rail before the frame kit is installed. The rail 60 has holes provided in its depending outer flange to register with the holes 34 in the bar 22 end to accommodate screws 62. Then the installation of the frame kit and support arrangement as a whole proceeds as described earlier herein.

In any installation suitable means are provided to seal any gaps between window panes and frames. In the case of the horizontal slider windows, the side gap is closed by sliding the one window panel against the side of the room air conditioner and providing appropriate seals between this window panel and the window panel which it overlaps. It will be appreciated that the frame kit for horizontal sliders has its extendible wing provided on the top side to be moved up into position to seal the space above the room air conditioner, whereas with the double hung window frame .kit opposite side extendible wings are provided.

Casement windows use the same kind of frame kit as the horizontal sliders where possible. In any given unusual installation, it will be appreciated that some tailoring of seals and the like may be required. However, the support arrangement of the present invention is adaptable to a majority of all installations regardless of whether a frame kit is usable.

I claim as my invention:

1. A support arrangement for supporting the outwardly-projecting portion of a room air conditioner mounted m a window opening of a building structure, comprising:

a single support bar independent of the room air conditioner structure and having its inner end fastened to building-secured structure underlying the bottom wall of said room air conditioner, said bar projecting outwardly, and comprising a downwardly-open channel forming longitudinally-extending track means in the interior of said channel;

a support bracket having an upper, extended-length portion slidably captured in said track means to accommodate adjusting said bracket longitudinally along said bar without said bar and said bracket separating;

means carried by said bracket during adjustment for securing said upper portion of said bracket to said bar at a selected position to prevent sliding movement of said bracket relative to said bar; and

adjustable means carried by the lower portion of said bracket for adjustment into abutting relation with said building structure to establish a desired slope of said support bar.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said means for securing said bracket to said bar comprises a threaded fastener carried by said upper portion of said bracket and adapted to be turned into engagement with said support bar.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein:

said upper portion of said bracket includes an upper face comprised of alternate, outwardly-projecting flanges, the outer edges of said flanges being slidably received in said track means; and

said threaded fastener is carried by one of said flanges and is adapted to be turned up into engagement with the web of said channel.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein:

said bracket includes an integral sheet portion provided with alternating, outwardly-directed flanges forming its top edge face, and a right angle flange forming its inner edge face; and

one of said top edge flanges carn'es said bracket-to-bar securing means, and said inner edge flange carries said adjustable means.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1 including:

adapter clip means disposed between, and fastened to both said inner end of said support bar and said building-secured structure for locating said support bar at a selected height.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 557,875 4/1896 Pittet 248-236 2,628,052 2/1953 Cira 248-208 X 2,674,430 4/1954 Galazzi et al 248-208 X 2,880,952 4/ 1959 Moore et al. 248-208 2,889,764 6/1959 McGrath et a1. 248-208 X 3,273,843 9/1966 Bell et a1. 248-208 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

